Dead Head Fred - PSP - Preview 2

Ah, life as a private eye
can be quite exciting and interesting. One minute you’re trailing a dangerous
gangster and the next you wake up in some mad scientist’s laboratory without a
head but still alive. This is the strangely morbid but hilarious situation that
private investigator Fred Neuman finds himself in in Dead Head Fred for the PSP
… a game that’s uniquely different and very welcome.

During this year’s E3, we
got a nice peek at the features that make Dead Head Fred an interesting game
that brings to mind unique games like Stubbs the Zombie for the original Xbox or
the point-and-click PC classic Grim Fandango … but with lots of fistfights. The
preview build we received covers a lot of ground and introduces a title with
plenty of action, entertaining puzzles and dark humor that goes well with a dash
of pulpy noir.

You see, Fred is no
ordinary hero. The moment he wakes up in Doc Steiner’s lab, Fred realizes that
the gangster he’s been tailing - a grotesquely misshapen man named Ulysses S.
Pitts - killed him and thanks to the tinkering of the good Doc he’s alive but
missing his head. So in the place of his own mug, the Doc fit him with a jar and
the only remains of his head … his brains and eyeballs. Fred swears revenge on
Pitts and his freakish hoodlums that include a thug named Lefty (who has a left
arm that’s more muscular than the other) and an army of undead monsters.

Taking place in an
alternate 1940s, Fred embarks on a quest to seek revenge on Pitts and do away
with all the supernatural creeps that surround the Doctor’s castle. The game’s
first level has you attempting to escape Doc Steiner’s castle while learning how
to make use of Fred’s ability to change heads. Fred begins with his usual Jar
head that has the ability to heal yourself over time as well as activate your
Stealth Generator (which turns you invisible for awhile). You’ll also start with
the Corpse head which comes with a Super Spray ability that allows you to spray
a toxic fume as well as allowing you to suck in other elements to spew at your
enemies. Finally, we’re introduced to the Stone head; an attachment that makes
Fred into a powerhouse that can breathe underwater and ram or pound enemies with
your incredible strength.

You’ll certainly uncover
more heads throughout the game like the Shrunken head, which allows you to
shrink entirely to fit into really small spaces or cracks in certain buildings.
The demo introduced Sam Spade, a gravedigger who also operates the Head Shop
where you can upgrade each head for a price. While the different heads are
useful during combat but the heads also play a role in solving the various
puzzles you’ll encounter throughout the game. For example, one puzzle has you
attempting to put out a fire that blocks your path in Steiner’s castle. A fish
bowl in the corner and the Corpse head’s ability to suck in elements like, say,
water from said fish bowl might just be what you need to put out the fire. See
that rusty old garage door? Maybe the Stone head’s ability to ram into things
might do the trick.

Fred’s only weapons -
aside from his various interchangeable heads - are his fists and Fred gets to
battle a number of enemies that range from zombies to deranged executioners that
wield giant axes. The demo also introduced two boss battles. One battle pits you
up against Juju Judy, an undead voodoo priestess who tries to burn you alive
while you battle her zombies. Then, reaching an area known as Creepy Hollow,
you’ll encounter a hilarious version of the Headless Horseman who throws his
fiery jack-o-lanterns and tries to trample you with his horse.

The demo even introduced a
few of the mini-games you’ll be able to play such as betting on mutant rooster
fights (you can even own your own, name and prepare your mutant rooster for a
fight) as well as play a game of pool at the pool lounge. Pool was actually
quite fun to play and a good diversion from the main game. You’ll also encounter
a number of characters who will offer you various side quests for rewards you
can use to upgrade your heads’ abilities.

Visually, the game looks
downright impressive thanks to its Tim Burton-like visual style and wonderfully
detailed characters. Everything from the backgrounds to the visual effects will
not fail to impress and while there are a few clipping problems, it doesn’t get
really bad. There’s also a snappy soundtrack that works well with the theme and
the sound effects come alive on your PSP speakers. As far as the voice acting is
concerned it’s top notch and handles the witty dialogue to perfection. Along
with some great lines (often filled with profanity), Fred will even sling
insults when you die (e.g. “Thank you so much for sucking.”)

While there are a number
of glitches that publisher promised will be sorted out before the game ships,
there are a few things that still seem a bit uneven such as the camera and the
somewhat repetitive nature of combat. Still, with an interesting story, a good
sense of humor and plenty to see and do in this game, Dead Head Fred looks like
it will be a pleasantly surprising treat for the PSP.